It is known to mount an electromechanical fuel injector on an engine intake manifold runner to direct the fuel injections toward the head of the intake valve that controls the introduction of combustible air/fuel mixture into a combustion chamber space (i.e., cylinder) that is served by the runner. Directing fuel injections directly against the head of an engine intake valve is typically deemed desirable because it avoids wetting the surrounding manifold or runner wall and because it promotes better fuel atomization due to the relatively higher temperature of the valve head when the engine is running. Generally speaking, the fuel injector's nozzle is located at a distance from the valve head, and it and/or or the accommodations required for mounting it may protrude into the airflow sufficiently to create some restriction on the airflow. If the straight line distance between the fuel injector's nozzle and the target on the valve head is not coaxial with the fuel injector's axis, the fuel injector is constructed to deliver what is sometimes referred to as a `bent stream` injection (meaning that the direction of injection is not coaxial with the fuel injector's axis) so that the injections will be directed to the intended target.
The present invention relates to a novel arrangement for mounting a fuel injector on an engine, particularly in its association with an engine intake valve. The invention allows the fuel injections to be directed at the intake valve without having to incorporate a bent stream feature into the fuel injector. The invention also provides a novel association of an electromechanical fuel injector with an engine intake valve that can be very useful in packaging the fuel injector in an engine. Furthermore, it may impose less restriction on airflow that certain other fuel injector mountings. These, along with further advantages, features, and benefits of the invention will be seen in the ensuing description and claims which are accompanied by a drawing. The drawing discloses a presently preferred embodiment of the invention according to the best mode contemplated at this time for carrying out the invention.